PLEASE NOTE: Due to the high volume of inquiries, we will not respond to any emails asking questions that are answered on the Economics graduate program website. Please read the Economics PhD admissions page carefully, and then go through all the FAQs below, before sending any email inquiries. Note also that we are not allowed to comment on individual cases or chances of admission.
Admissions Requirements
Do I need a Masters degree before applying?
No, you only need a Bachelors degree.
Do I need a Bachelors degree in Economics to apply?
We do not require a Bachelors degree in Economics. We admit students with Bachelors degrees in various fields, including but not necessarily limited to economics, mathematics, physics, engineering, other natural science fields, and other social science fields.
What are you looking for in a strong application?
We are looking for strong quantitative and analytical skills, along with the demonstrated research ability. Ideally, you need a strong record in courses such as intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics, multi-variable calculus, linear algebra, and statistics.
What is the average GRE score of those granted admission?
Most admitted students have earned a GRE quantitative score above or near the 90th percentile. The median last year was the 94th percentile.
How many applications do you receive each year, and how many applicants are in each cohort?
We usually receive around 500 applicants, and each cohort is no more than 20 students.
Can you tell me how likely I am to be admitted to your program, if I send you my application materials over email?
We absolutely can NOT comment on individual cases or chances of admission outside of the formal application process. Please apply through https://applycentral.virginia.edu/apply/, and please do not email the department faculty or staff with your materials unless requested.
Program Details
Can I apply for a Masters Degree?
We do not offer a terminal Masters Degree in Economics; you can only apply for the PhD program.
How many students do you have in the program?
There are approximately 100 students enrolled at any given time.
Do you offer a part-time Ph.D. program?
There is no part-time study available through the economics department.
Is your program considered STEM?
Yes, our program is considered a STEM program.
Funding
Do I need to supply a separate financial aid form?
No. All applicants with completed applications are automatically considered for financial aid. Indeed, all admitted students are given full funding for five years, as described below.
What kind of funding do you offer?
All students admitted to the economics PhD program are fully funded with a five-year aid package. This currently consists of a stipend of $30,600 per year ($24,480 during the 2024-2025 academic year and $6,120 during the summer of 2025); all tuition and enrollment fees; as well as University health insurance.
The award package is comprised of fellowships and assistantships and will be renewed for up to five years, contingent on satisfactory academic performance, successful fulfillment of assigned duties as a teaching or research assistant, and compliance with all applicable University, School, and departmental policies, including, but not limited to, those governing student conduct, academics, and honor.
What do I have to do to maintain my funding?
Doctoral students are not expected to work during their first year, but they do serve as graduate teaching assistants in years two through five, a commitment of ten hours per week. Students in years four and five with especially strong instructional skills may even be offered the opportunity to serve as instructors. Some students receive graduate research assistantships that give them relief from teaching assistant responsibilities.
Is there funding available beyond the fifth year?
Yes. The Graduate School administers a competitive dissertation fellowship program to support a sixth year of study for doctoral students who are poised to complete distinguished dissertations and enter the job market. Many students also obtain Bankard Pre-doctoral Dissertation Fellowships, which provides funding and relief from teaching assistant responsibilities for one semester.
Is there additional funding available, for example in order to conduct research?
Yes. The Director of Graduate Studies evaluates funding requests for research (data purchases, surveys, etc) as well as conference travel on a case-by-case basis.
Application process
When should I apply?
The online application is available as of October 1 each year for the Fall semester of the following year.
What is the deadline for applying?
Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted by December 15 at 11:59pm US East Coast time.
Can I apply for spring term admission?
No. We only consider applicants for admission to the fall term.
When can I expect to receive my decision?
The Admissions Committee begins reviewing applications in early February and offers are made on a rolling basis between late February and mid-April. Admitted students are invited to campus for an open house in late March.
How do I apply?
The Economics PhD program at UVA is part of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, so an applicant applies to be admitted to both the Economics Department and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. You must apply online, through the website here: https://applycentral.virginia.edu/apply/. You may find more information here: https://graduate.as.virginia.edu/admission (or inquire further at gsasadmission@virginia.edu.)
Can the application fee ever be waived?
Information concerning fee waivers that are available to applicants can be found at https://graddiversity.virginia.edu/application-fee-waiver
Do I need approval from a faculty member in the department prior to applying?
Absolutely not. Please do not contact faculty members prior to applying to ask them to accept you under their guidance or supervise your dissertation. This is not how admissions to most economics PhD programs in the USA work. All applications are considered by a revolving admissions committee comprised of 5-6 faculty members.
How many letters of recommendation are required?
A minimum of three letters of recommendation are required for your application.
If I applied to your program previously, do I still need to resubmit application materials? Do I have to repay the application fee?
Yes, you need to resubmit your application and repay the application fee.
Further GRE questions
Is the GRE required? Can I substitute another exam score?
The GRE is required, and cannot be waived under any circumstances. You must take the verbal, quantitative, and analytical parts of the GRE.
Do you accept scores from the online, at-home GRE exam?
Yes.
Do you need official GRE/TOEFL scores to be submitted with the application?
Official scores are not necessary for the review process, but will be required prior to enrolling as a student. If the official scores do not match the unofficial scores that you have submitted, your offer may be rescinded.
Official scores sent from ETS are automatically matched to the application once received. If your scores will expire prior to July of the coming year (GRE scores are valid for five years; TOEFL/IELTS scores are valid for two years), then you should have official scores submitted prior to their expiration.
English language requirements
What is the English language requirement for international applicants?
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam is required for international students whose native language is not English and who have not completed a bachelor’s degree at an institution where English is the language of instruction. The minimum score requirement for either the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL or the paper-based TOEFL is 90 (including sectional minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading and 23 in listening. The minimum IELTS score requirement is 7.0 in each section. Test scores are valid for two years from the test date.
May I substitute another similar test?
No other exam may be substituted for the TOEFL/IELTS.
Do you accept scores from the online, at-home TOEFL?
Yes.
Are TOEFL/IELTS scores required to apply if I attended an English speaking institution?
Waivers are automatic for students whose applications indicate they have received, or will receive, an undergraduate degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction. Students who have completed, or are completing, a master’s degree at such an institution may request a waiver for the TOEFL requirement. This waiver is now part of the online application; please start the application and indicate that you are requesting a waiver when you come to that section. You can upload any relevant documents directly there; please do not send requests or attachments over email.
Are there any other language requirements?
Strong English language skills are vital to the success of our graduate students in the program, as teaching assistants, on the job market, and in their careers. Consequently, in mid-August, the Center for American English Language and Culture (CAELC) assesses the written and oral English proficiency of all new international students whose native language is not English. Based on the results of the University of Virginia's English Language Proficiency Exam (UVAELPE) and the SPEAK test, CAELC makes recommendations for further English study—if needed--in courses taught by CAELC staff. The Department and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences view these recommendations as requirements. CAELC English courses are free and are designed not to overburden students with a heavy academic workload.
Students must earn a minimum score of 55 on the SPEAK test to pass. Newly enrolled students who score below 55 must, therefore, successfully complete any required English courses before their second year so that they can serve as TA’s and retain their funding package.